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Albert Wadsworth arrived on the Texas coast about 1838 and settled in Matagorda. As a young sailor, he left his home at New Bern, Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, on the crew of a coastal trading ship from the Atlantic seaboard down the coast to Florida and thence to Mobile and New Orleans. There Wadsworth entered into the Texas emigrant trade hauling a cargo assigned to Matagorda. He stayed to become a merchant and to marry Catherine Mackey and, after her death, her sister Mary. Both were the daughters of William and Ruth Washam Mackey of Tennessee, who had joined the Austin colony with eight children in 1831. Albert Wadsworth later became a district judge. During the Civil War, with two sons in the service, he was active in securing supplies for the soldiers from blockade runners entering the port of Matagorda from Mexico. It was through the blockade-running that yellow fever was brought to Matagorda in 1862. It is said that there were so many deaths there were not enough living to bury the dead. Albert, his wife Mary, and her mother Ruth were all victims of the fever and were buried in Matagorda Cemetery. Albert’s children were: sons William Bryant Wadsworth, Thomas Mackey Wadsworth and Edward Wadsworth and daughters, Catherine Elinor Wadsworth (by his first wife), Mary Wynne Wadsworth, Sarah Holland Wadsworth, Ruth Denison Wadsworth and Alberta Wadsworth. Thomas was one of the twenty-two soldiers frozen to death on Matagorda Bay the night of December 31, 1863, while trying to repel a Federal gunboat attack. Ruth Denison died at the age of 16; Catherine Elinor became the wife of Dr. James Raphael Thompson, one of Matagorda’s early practitioners, and died in 1865; Mary Wynne, Sarah Holland and Alberta moved to Central Texas after the war and remained there the rest of their lives. Only William Bryant and Edward remained in Matagorda County. Edward never married and died in 1916. William married Julia Hodges, daughter of Galen Hodges, a pioneer merchant of Matagorda. It is through William, who gave a long life of devotion to the county, that the name of Wadsworth has been preserved. William was known as “Matagorda’s Grand Old Man” and his son, Albert Hodges Wadsworth, achieved a like reputation in Bay City. Albert Hodges, Jr. was the only child of Albert and Lurline Andrews Wadsworth. The small town of Wadsworth, Texas, is named in honor of its largest land owner and community leader, William Wadsworth.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume I, pp 99-100 |
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The death angel came to our town Friday morning at four o'clock and bore from us, to the mysterious beyond, the soul of a prominent pioneer and beloved citizen, Mr. William B. Wadsworth. Mr. Wadsworth has been ill for fifteen years of Locomotor Ataxia and during that time has visited many climes and taken treatment from many celebrated physicians, which no doubt, prolonged his life for several years, yet he fully realized that his earthly pilgrimage must end sooner or later and he always stood full ready to answer the call in God's army. He is one of the descendants of a very prominent family of early days was born in Matagorda in 1843 and spent the best years of his life in the town of his birth. During the war he won distinction as a valiant soldier in the Sixth Texas Infantry, Company D. In the early 80's he married to Miss Julia Hodges, also a native Matagordian, of which union there were two children, a little daughter who died soon after her birth and a son, A. H. Wadsworth of this place. He has always been a generous favorite with children and a devoted Christian of the Episcopal faith. During all the years of his illness he has ever been cheerful and borne his afflictions with great fortitude. He was most magnanimous to those in need--always ready to relieve suffering and therefore will be greatly missed by all who knew him for many years to come. The spirit hath returned to Him who gave it and the weary body will be laid to rest this afternoon in the Matagorda cemetery beside his devoted wife who preceded him to the grave several years ago. To look back on the life of this noble, suffering Christian character it is not hard to understand that " 'Tis not the whole of life to live, nor all of death to die." Beside his son, three sisters and one brother survive him, viz.: Mesdames Sallie Wilkerson and Bert Brashear of Hearne, Miss Mollie Wadsworth who has resided with him ever since his wife's death and Captain Ned Wadsworth of Pledger, all of whom will arrive on the noon train for the obsequies except the two latter who were with him when he died.
Matagorda County Tribune, April 28, 1911 |
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Albert H. Wadsworth, Jr. Cedarvale Cemetery - Photo courtesy of Faye Cunningham  Albert Hodges Wadsworth, Jr. Albert Hodges Wadsworth, Jr. was born in Bay City, Texas on October 11, 1916, and died January 29, 2005 at home surrounded by his loving family. He is a member of an old and distinguished Texas family who arrived on the Texas Gulf Coast in the early 1830s. The family settled Matagorda County and Wadsworth, Texas. He is predeceased by: his first wife, Julia Denton Wadsworth; grandparents, Julia Amelia Hodges and Albert Wadsworth of Matagorda, and Dr. Judson and Ellen Amelia Andrews of Wharton, Texas; and his parents, Lurline Andrews and Albert Hodges Wadsworth Sr. of Bay City, Texas. He attended Bay City High School and graduated from Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. He received a M.A. in geology from the University of Texas in Austin, where he was president of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in 1941. Early in his career, he was a geological scout for Texaco in Midland, a field geologist for the United States Geological survey in all western states, an exploration and production manager for Commonwealth Oil Company in Houston and spent most of his career as an independent oil producer and mining consultant. He conducted oil operations in the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, as well as mining exploration and operations in Spain, Haiti, Brazil, Germany Dominican Republic, Mexico, Central America and the western United States. His last work effort will result in a well being drilled after his death. He was instrumental in starting The Gulf Coast Geological Library. He is the founder and original board member of the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES) and was awarded an honorary membership. After 20 years, he was re-elected to the SIPES board of directors. He conducted seminars for the AFL-CIO, at the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies, on the value of a strong domestic oil industry. He lectured in New York to the Leviticus group of district attorneys and state securities officials. He was an industry spokesman and traveled often to Austin and Washington to support legislation for independent oil production. During the Ford Administration, his efforts saved the depletion allowance for independents. He is a member of AAPG, Houston Geological Society, past president of The Association of Petroleum Geochemical Exploration (ARGE). He served on the board of directors of Kemper Military School for 11 years and was chairman of the board for three years. He most enjoyed hunting and fishing and being with family and friends at the Wadsworth Ranch in Blessing, Texas, where we all learned to hunt, ride, gather eggs in the hen house, pick dewberries and make fresh cobbler. We enjoyed his barbeque, fried oysters and gumbo and played Gusher into the wee hours of the morning. We will never forget these cherished memories with our Daddy. He is survived by: his wife, Glenrose; daughters, Jane Frances Wadsworth Mason, both of Houston, Julia Rosine Wadsworth Stout and husband Stephen of Durango, Colorado, Ellen Amelia Wadsworth of Austin, Randa McDonough and husband Jerry of Dallas, and Marc Howton of Florida; grandchildren, Jay H. Rambin IV, Hayley Jane Wadsworth Dickson, Julia Wadsworth Mason; nieces, Molly Denton Yates and Julia Hale; and nephew, Ashley Hale; and cousins, Drew Reid and wife Liz and Joe Monty Reid. Pallbearers are Jay Rambin, Stephen Stout, Drew Reid, Joe Monty Reid, Marc Howton, Mike Sullivan, Lucius Geer, John Amoruso and Jim Lewis. Honorary pallbearers are Jack Huebner, Jerry McDonough, Debra Sacrey, Boo Neary, Gibbons Corbett and Jack Colle. Services for Albert Hodges Wadsworth will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, February 3, 2005, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Bay City, Texas. Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City is making arrangements (979) 245-4613. The family wishes to express thanks to Drs. Denton Cooley and Michele Sartori and to the many nurses and caretakers, especially Patricia, Debra, Margaret and Barbara.
Bay City Tribune, February 2, 2005 |
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Ruth Washam (born c1795 - died October 30, 1862) was
thought to be from Virginia and the daughter of William Washam. She
married William Mackey (died August 11, 1831) on August 25, 1816 in
Blountville, Tennessee. William was born in Ireland and he and his
parents, John and Mary McIlwaine Mackey, emigrated to the United States,
settling in Blountville, Tennessee.
Ruth
received a land grant in Bastrop County after the death of her husband.
Her league was on Pin Oak Creek and was known as the Ruth Mackey League.
It was described as being “situated on the arroyo which is called ‘Pin
Oak Creek’ to the East of Colorado River and above the LaBahia road.” It
was granted at San Felipe de Austin on December 8, 1832.
Ruth
Mackey recorded cattle brand #17 in Matagorda County on June 15, 1838,
Book C, page 47. The mark associated with the brand was “Two slits in
the right ear a swallow fork & under bit in the left ear. 